Georges Braque - Derrière le Miroir Nr. 4 - 1947

Georges Braque – Derrière le Miroir Nr. 4 – Original xilografía – Galerie Maeght – Primera edición 1947

Georges Braque (1882–1963)
Derrière le Miroir, Nr. 4 – G. Braque
Galerie Maeght / Éditions Pierre à Feu, París
Junio de 1947

Very early and collectible edition of Derrière le Miroir, published on the occasion of the Georges Braque exhibition at Galerie Maeght in Paris in June 1947.

It is Nr. 4 of the legendary art publication Derrière le Miroir and thus one of the earliest issues of the entire series.

Original color lithograph by Georges Braque

Particularly noteworthy is the cover with an original color lithograph by Georges Braque.

The black, ochre and olive-green composition almost fills the entire front page and is labelled at the bottom with “G. BRAQUE”.

Bibliographic and museological references expressly list the cover as an original color lithograph. The Toledo Museum of Art distinguishes in its copy between the original color lithograph of the cover and the reproduced works inside.

The original lithograph, together with the typographically designed head, forms:

DERRIÈRE LE MIROIR – GALERIE MAEGHT – PIERRE À FEU – JUIN 1947

the complete original cover of the edition.

Equipment

The edition comprises 8 pages and includes:

1 original color lithograph by Georges Braque on the cover
3 reproductions after Braque drawings
2 reproductions after Braque paintings

as well as literary and art-critical texts by René Char and Jacques Kober. This equipment is also confirmed by the auction catalog of Galerie Kornfeld.

Especially interesting are the reproduced drawings from Braque’s Cahiers, including the large-format depiction “Réalité”.

René Char and Jacques Kober

Included is a text by the important French poet René Char, who was closely associated with Braque.

Also included is Jacques Kober’s extensive contribution:

« La main de l’ouvrier »

The text is dated December 1946 and describes Braque, his studio and his view of artistic creation.

Thus the issue is not merely an exhibition catalog, but an immediate contemporary document about Braque and his artistic thinking.

Original exhibition catalog

Particularly interesting is the final page “CATALOGUE,” which lists the works presented at Galerie Maeght.

In total 58 items are listed, including:

* 34 paintings
* engraved or sculpted plaster plates
* sculptures and bronzes
* copper and plaster works
* two lithographs

Thus the issue documents the historical Braque exhibition at Galerie Maeght in 1947 directly.

Very early edition of Derrière le Miroir

Derrière le Miroir was founded by Maeght only in 1946. The present booklet is No. 4 and thus belongs to the earliest phase of this later internationally important artist publication. Maeght’s chronological documentation confirms Braque as No. 4 of the series.

A professional dealer’s note cites an original print run of 1,500 copies for this edition and reports that unsold copies were later used for paper production for the following issues. However, I would not highlight this number as a firm publisher’s statement in the Catawiki description, since it currently rests on a dealer’s evidence.

Bibliographic data

Artist: Georges Braque (1882–1963)
Title: Derrière le Miroir – G. Braque
Number: Nr. 4
Publisher: Galerie Maeght / Éditions Pierre à Feu
Place: Paris
Year: 1947
Month: June
Edition: First edition
Language: French
Extent: 8 pages
Format: approx. 38 × 28 cm
Original artwork: 1 original color lithograph by Georges Braque on the cover
Other illustrations: Reproductions after drawings and paintings
Texts: René Char and Jacques Kober
Binding: loose sheets, as issued

Condition

The present copy is in overall good to very good age-appropriate condition according to the photographs.

The cover with the original color lithograph is, overall, very appealing. The paper shows slight age-related discolorations or scattered small stains and signs of wear. The pages show the folding and storage marks typical of this large-format, loose-published publication.

The interior leaves appear clean and well preserved overall.

No restorative or cleaning interventions have been made.

The numerous photographs depict the actual offered copy and are expressly part of the condition description.

Collecting significance

Particularly noteworthy:

Derrière le Miroir Nr. 4 – one of the earliest issues of the series
First edition, June 1947
Original color lithograph by Georges Braque on the cover
Galerie Maeght / Éditions Pierre à Feu
Texts by René Char and Jacques Kober
Original exhibition catalog with 58 items
Complete copy with 8 pages

An interesting early collectible item for collectors of Georges Braque, Derrière le Miroir, Galerie Maeght, post-war French art, and original graphics.

Private sale

Private sale from my own private collection.

The description has been prepared to the best of my knowledge and belief on the basis of the present copy, the information provided in the object, and available bibliographic information. Despite careful examination, errors or deviations in bibliographic details, dating, printing techniques, attributions, or other descriptive information cannot be fully ruled out.

The condition assessment is subjective. The photographs are therefore expressly part of the description and decisive for the buyer’s own assessment. The buyer receives and the seller delivers only the copy shown in the photographs.

As this is a private sale from a private collection, the sale takes place under the legally permissible conditions with exclusion of warranty as to defects. This exclusion does not apply in cases of willful or gross negligence, and does not affect mandatory statutory rights.